Dan Campbell on Stopping Mobile QB's: 'Just a Matter of Discipline'
The Detroit Lions defense will will have an opportunity to learn from game film after playing against another NFL team.
Aaron Glenn's defense struggled to limit the effectiveness of rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder on the ground, as the 2022 third round draft pick rushed for 59 yards on six attempts.
Head coach Dan Campbell's roster does not feature a quarterback who is a lethal threat out of the backfield, so a look at how the young quarterback eluded defenders and forced the Lions' defense to play undisciplined will prove beneficial over the next couple of weeks.
Campbell was asked postgame about the importance of playing against a mobile quarterback ahead of the season opener.
Recall, the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback is Jalen Hurts, who isn't afraid to tuck the football and run in the face of pressure.
“Yeah, it will be everything because look, they don’t see that from us because we don’t have these mobile quarterbacks like that," Campbell said. "And so, to see that and get live reps at that -- it’s really just a reminder and an emphasis on them. You know, gap control, contain, contain rush, all these things man. And you have to rely on the guy next to you that he’s going to be where he’s supposed to be. That you can trust him, because we allowed them to break contain more than a couple of times. So, that’s just a matter of discipline."
Atlanta's first team offense, with Marcus Mariota under center, was also able to stay on the field for nearly 10 minutes of the first quarter after Detroit scored the opening touchdown of the game.
The momentum built by the Lions' first-team offense scoring first was quickly evaporated.
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Glenn and the defensive coaching staff has made subtle changes to the defense this offseason, but teams can still look to last year for certain tendencies on how to attack Detroit's defense.
"So if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do and being disciplined to it they will break contain in a hurry and that happened today," Campbell explained. "So it will be good for us. As we start getting closer to Philly we will be working those things. But, it was good for us tonight because it was a re-emphasis on what they’re going to do and how they’re going to attack us.”
